Scaffold.



No. 78,358. Patented Nov; ll, I902.

A. L. G. E. D. STILES'.

SCAFFOLD.

(Application filed July 5, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Shee1 2,

:VI lllllflllllllllllllllllllllnh (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO L. STILES AND ELBERT D. STILES, OF POSTVILLE, IOWA.

SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,358, dated November11, 1902.

Application filed July 5, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALONZO L. SrILEs and ELBERT D. STILES, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Postville, in the county of Allamakee andState of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inScaffolds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to scaffolding, and provides novel means for usein connection with a ladder to form a support for a board or rest uponwhich the workman may stand, so as to reach a point not otherwiseaccessible without scaffolding of some character. Ladders are anecessary adjunct of the building craft, and it is the purpose of thisinvention to provide a bracket attachment for a ladder which can bereadily adjusted to any desired height and which when not in use may befolded or reduced to a compact form for convenience of handling and soas to occupy a minimum amount of space.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

WVhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferredembodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a scaffold embodying the invention, the samecomprising a pair of ladders, a pair of bracket attachments appliedthereto, and a board supported upon the brackets. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section of the bracket attachment, showing it applied to aladder. Fig. Sis a perspective view of the bracket attachment. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the rear end of the board-support or horizontalmember of the bracket. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a lugapplied to a riser or side piece of the ladder. Fig. 6 is a detail viewof the attaching end of an arm of the board-support.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Serial No. 114,504. (No model.)

The bracket attachment consists, essentially, of two partsaboard-support or horizontal member A and a brace B.

The board-support or horizontal memberA comprises companion bars 1,connected midway of their ends and having their outer end portionsflared, as shown at 2 and 3, the ter minal portions of the flared ends 3being outwardly bent and secured to a cross-bar 4, which is adapted tobear against the wall or other surface against which the scaffold may beplaced. To prevent marring the wall, pads 5 are applied to the endportions of the crossbar 4 and may be of any construction. The flaredends 2 are provided with elongated openings 6 for cooperation withheaded studs 7, applied to the risers or side pieces 8 of the ladder atdeterminate points in their length. The flared ends 2 are adapted to becompressed or spread, as desired, so as to admit of their attachment toand detachment from corresponding studs 7. The bars 1 are thin and wideand are placed with their flat sides in opposition, so as to occupy avertical position when the bracket is in service, thereby enabling thebars 1 to sustain vertical pressure.

The brace B comprises a bar 8 and a fork 9, the bar 8 being pivoted atits upper end between the bars 1, preferably by one of the bolts orfastenings connecting said bars 1. The fork 9 is composed of bars 10,bolted to opposite sides of the lower end portion of the bar 8 andcurved in opposite directions and terminating in hooks or clips 11,which are adapted to engage over a rung of the ladder. The hooks orclips 11 possess a spring action, so as to grip opposite sides of therung, to which the fork may be fitted, thereby preventing accidentaldisengagement of the brace from the rung when the bracket is properlyfitted to theladder.

The studs 7 may be secured to the side pieces or risers of the ladder inany substantial Way and, as shown, may form a part of or may be appliedto plates 12, which are fastened either by screws or bolts to said sidepieces. The heads of the studs are elongated to conform to the elongatedopenings'6 in the flared ends 2 of the board-support A,and when placingthe bracket in position or removing board-support A so as to lie aboutparallel with the ladder, and in this position of the board-support theopenings 6 correspond with the heads'of the studs 7 and admit of saidheads passing readily through the openings. After the heads of the studshave passed through the elongated openings 6 the boardsupportA is turnedso as to occupy an approximately horizontal position, thereby causingthe heads of the studs 7 to sit crosswise of the elongated openings 6and preventing casual withdrawal of the studs through said openings.When it is required to disengage the bracket from the ladder, theboard-support A must be folded upward against the ladder to bring theopenings 6 in line with the heads of the studs 7, when the ends 2 or theboard-support may be disengaged from the studs, as will be readilycomprehended. When the board-support A occupies an approximatelyhorizontal position, the clips or hooks 11 at the lower end of the braceengage a rung of the ladder and the ladder inclines at its upper endtoward the wall or surface against which the scaffold is placed. Byloeating the studs 7 at selected points in the length of the ladder thebracket may be raised or lowered, as required.

In order to enable a great extent of surface being reached, a number ofladders and bracket attachments may be employed, and, as shown in Fig.1, two ladders and two brackets are provided, and a board 13 is placedupon the supports B and extends from one ladder to the other, so as toenable the surface between the ladders being reached.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is 1. Incombination with a ladder, and headed studs applied to the risers orside pieces thereof at intervals in their length, a bracket comprising aboard-support and brace pivotally connected, the board-Supportcomprising spaced end portions provided with elongated openings to makeinterlocking connection with any one of the sets of headed studs of theladder and the brace having a clip at its lower end to engage with arung of the ladder, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a ladder, and headed studs applied to the sidepieces or risers of the ladder at intervals in their length, a bracketcomprising a board-support and a brace pivotally connected, theboard-support comprising spaced end portions having elongated openingsto make interlocking connection with corresponding studs and the braceprovided at its lower end with a fork having its members terminating inspring hooks or clips to make engagement with a rung of the ladder,substantially as set forth.

3. A bracket attachment for a ladder, the same comprisinga board-supportand a brace, the board-support being composed of companion barsconnected intermediate of their extremities and having their endportions flared, one set of flared ends being adapted to makeinterlocking connection with the ladder and the brace having a fork atits free end terminating in clips or hooks for engagement with a rung ofthe ladder, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a ladder and headed studs applied to the risersor sides thereof at intervalsin their length, a bracket comprising aboard-support and a brace pivotally conuected,the board-supportcomprising companion bars connected intermediate of their extremitiesand having their end portions flared, a cross-bar secured to a set offlared ends and having padding applied to its outer side and the otherflared ends being provided with elongated openings to make interlockingconnection with a set of studs of the ladder and the brace having a forkat its free end terminating in spring hooks or clips for engagement witha rung of the ladder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ALONZO L. STILES. [L. s.] ELBERT D. STILES. L. s.] Vt itnesses:

WM. H. OEHRINGS, F. WILKE.

